ANU to shut School of Legal Practice, 29 academics affected

Academics at the school have condemned the decision to close the school, pointing to a strong body of research and commitment to the legal profession.

In an internal document outlining the proposed changes, seen by The Canberra Times, the university said the school did not have a "tradition of legal research of a quality or quantity which is expected at the university".

"In this way, the [school] is not well-aligned with the university's strategic goals now or in the past. Academic staff have been appointed to the [school] on the basis of their knowledge and experience of legal practice required ... their appointment has not been based on their academic research qualifications," the document said.

Academics at the university's Law School have defended the School of Legal Practice, which offers graduate diplomas and masters programs, and called for it to be saved.

A letter to staff at the College of Law from high-profile professors Donald Rothwell, Kim Rubenstein and Margaret Thornton said abolishing the school's courses was inconsistent with the College promoting legal professionalism.

"We value the contributions made to legal education, public policy, legal scholarship, and legal research made by all members of the School of Legal Practice; the contributions made to improving relations with Indigenous people are especially notable," the professors said.

"We also acknowledge the very significant contributions to the ANU College of Law over many decades by members of the School and value them as our colleagues."

The College of Law includes the prestigious School of Law, which runs academic degrees, and the School of Legal Practice.

Although the university has only made a proposal to close the school, with consultation extending until August 23, it has formally announced the school's programs would no longer be taught and is consulting on the timeline to close the school.

Skye Saunders, an associate professor at the School of Legal Practice, said the school helped bridge the gap between studying and practicing law.

"There is, I believe, a danger that this decision represents the prioritisation of textbook scholarship at the expense of the real-world experience and practical competence that the Australian legal profession requires," Dr Saunders said.

"The decision to disband the school is akin to taking engineers out of engineering or the doctors out the medical school."

Dr Saunders said she was grateful to have had the opportunity to teach at the school and pointed to a range of academic work its staff had produced, including her own work on rural workplace sexual harassment.

National Tertiary Education Union ANU branch president Matthew King said it would be a loss for the university if the proposal went ahead.

"We are very concerned for our members who may lose their jobs as a result of ANU's proposed changes. We need to recognise that these are highly skilled professionals who have made a great contribution to the university," he said.

The university said it was in a competitive and price-sensitive market, leaving the school unable to compete with other providers, but had consulted with staff during an independent review of the school in 2018

"ANU has a strategic priority to deliver research-led teaching in subjects of national importance. ... The vocationally oriented programs within the School of Legal Practice do not align with the university's teaching priorities," the university said.

Law students need to complete the graduate diploma before they can practice. The university has offered the program since 1971, which was the first university-based graduate diploma in Australia.